Recently in pop culture Category
I know that today's kids may be inundated with stimuli, thus requiring toys to be more hyper-extreme-kewl to keep their attention, but I'm quite frightened by the newest version of Tickle Me Elmo. Imagine a toy that writhes around on the floor, spasming and laughing maniacally. Check out the video below, or on YouTube.
Since when did The Eagles become an accepted part of the hipster soundtrack? I'm seriously considering leaving Vivace now because of this disturbing development. (And, no, I'm not talking about The Eagles of Death Metal, which would be much more tolerable).
OMG - now it's Hotel California. And the hipsters next to me are singing along. Wrong - all wrong!
I like zines, which is no surprise to anyone who knows me. I'm happy to spend money on supporting handmade art, and zines have a material quality about them that I find intriguing.
So, I found this zine at Cafe Vita or somesuch place last week (in the "free" area next to The Stranger). It's published by an artists' collective called the S.S. Marie Antoinette (SSMA).
(Strange note here: I just saw the movie Marie Antoinette on Saturday, which was good. Oh, and Sofia Coppola must have some pretty great music supervisors working with her. So, the zine - I'd picked it up a few weeks ago, but hadn't actually looked through it until today. Synchronicity?)
ANYWAY, the zine contains an engaging article about making art, which includes the following quote about "getting into the mood" for artistic creation:
Art is intense production. If you want to be cute and happy listen to a Belle and Sebastian record while knitting. That's crafts! We're talking Art here! It's intense! Start with a coffee!!! Preferably a Grande Americano, no room, at least four shots, and some intense music, like Daft Punk or Andrew WK on repeat! Something with a constant 4/4 dance beat is all you need. Okay, so now you're ready to make art!This quote pretty much embodies the reason why I like reading zines - the creators always have strong opinions, with which I may not always agree, but I'm impressed with their intensity and drive to create.
BTW - while researching the SSMA, I found SeattleDIY.com, which publishes a great PDF guide to DIY spaces in Seattle.
I'm kind of nuts about magazines. Actually, really, certifiably crazy. Recent discussions of limits on airline carry-ons had me freaked out, not so much because of the "danger" of flying, but because people wouldn't be able to bring reading material on the plane. What, no Harper's or New Yorker? No Premiere or EW? No Vanity Fair? No ...shudder... US or In Style? (I mean, the SkyMall catalog may offer fascinatingly useless products like this and this and this, but, seriously, it's no match for news about Suri.)
I live for airport magazine stands. Sure, I'll get my indie magazine fix (Bust, Readymade, Venus, Magnet, etc.) before going to the airport, but nothing can stop me from purchasing whatever horrible rag has the most interesting celebrity gossip (Are Vince and Jennifer finally tying the knot? Will Paris' celibacy pact make her smart enough to get into MENSA?).
If I had too, I could give up all of my trashy, and even my indie magazines, save one. Kitchen Sink.
I think too much, do you?
Seriously, it's the best. Smart reviews of pop culture, music, politics, and comics. And, if you're in the Bay Area, they're always hosting some cool event or another. ANYWAY, go buy yourself a copy, or better yet, subscribe.
As if I needed any extra points added to my geek test score, I found myself watching Who Wants to be a Superhero? on the SciFi channel last night. After guffawing (yes, while others laugh or chuckle, nerds are known for their raucous guffaws) far too many times than I'd care to admit, I decided that I could have easily competed on the show.
Since a radioactive copy of Madness and Civilization fell into my hands last night, I have been transformed. I will now only answer to the name of "Perpetual Grad Student!"
She can transcribe interviews with both eyes closed! She dazzles her enemies with her knowledge of actor-network theory. She confuses her foes with her voluminous vocabulary, shouting words like "hegemony," "ontology," "epistemological," and "identity" at a moment's notice! Her ability to ingest large quantities of coffee and procrastinate playing sudoku creates a rip in the time-space fabric, thus allowing her to travel into the future when her dissertation is already finished (I wish!).
Such is the stuff dreams are made on. Unfortunately, my real superhero identity, according to Lee's (Useless) Super-Hero Generator, is "Electrifying Shyning Mirakle" (I checked the "Kewlifier" box on the form, hence the CRAZY spelling). Apparently, while riding on my "Mirakle Rocket," I can hypnotize anyone using my "Mirakle Carbine." Actually, there's a much better superhero creator at the Scifi.com site, but it doesn't generate a name for you, or tell you what your secret power is.
God, I'm so lame.
If you're a fan of MST3K, and cheesy 80s horror films with cringe-inducing production values, you might enjoy Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, a BBC production that's debuting on the SciFi channel later this month. The first episode is available at SciFi's site, and the show features dialogue like this little gem:
The doors of Darkplace were open. Not the literal doors of the building, most of which were closed. But evil doors. Dark doors. Doors, to the beyond. Doors that were hard to shut because they were abstract and didn't have handles. They were more like portals really.Bad, evil doors!
Just change the word "novel" to "dissertation" in this series of clips from Family Guy, and you've pretty much summed up my current situation.
Oh, the irony. I wonder if it was actually the above video that fueled Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston's drug problems?
A Flash version of Katamari is now online. Just move your cursor around and roll up the universe. It's strangely satisfying to roll up a bunch of fire engines.
The new season of The Real World begins next week. I can only shudder to think how bad it will be. (Of course, I will watch - it's research, right?)
In other lame reality-tv news: I'm torn between Chloe and Daniel as my Project Runway favorite, although I hated Daniel V's orchid outfit. I know the show is succumbing to every reality tv trick out there, but I keep watching.
(I do hate how they keep plugging the Tresemme hair salon and L'oreal Paris makeup room. It's not like there aren't a bazillion opportunities to show do commecial tie-ins. If I have to see the outside of the Parsons' School of Design one more time, I might have to unplug my tv. Haha!)
More PR goodness can be found at the Project Runway blog.
Perhaps not surprisingly, given the demise of Kitchen Confidential, I'm also looking forward to Top Chef. It's yet another "lets-find-talented-and-tempermental-creatives-and-make-them-live-
and-breathe-their-craft-while-destroying-their-not-so-fragile-egos" show. Bravo's promoting the series thusly:
This exciting new reality competition series offers a fascinating window into the competitive, pressure-filled environment of world-class cookery and the restaurant business at the highest level. Twelve aspiring chefs head to San Francisco for their shot at culinary stardom and the chance to earn the prestigious title of "Top Chef."
...
The competing chefs will live and breathe the high-pressure lifestyle that comes with being a master chef, and each week someone will be asked to "pack up their knives" and go home.
Um, I have the sneaking suspicion that Bravo is going the way of MTV and MTV2 - all reality, no actual substance.
Hey, I know! Let's remake that fantastic 1984 Bob Geldof classic, "Do They Know It's Christmas," and once again impress upon the rest of the world our Eurocentric/Christian values. I mean, who wouldn't sing along with lines like this?
And there won't be snow in AfricaHey, here's something else! I think it's awesome that Wal-Mart has decided not to stock Jon Stewart's brilliant satirical textbook, America (The Book), because it contains an image of the Supreme Court Justices' heads super-imposed on aging naked bodies.
This Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
"We were not aware of the image that was in the book (when Wal-Mart ordered it) and we felt the majority of our customers would not be comfortable with it," said Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Karen Burk. "We offer what we think our customers want to buy. That just makes good business sense."I love the "We offer what we think our customers want to buy" line. Um, isn't this book like number one on the the NYT Best-Seller List? Ahh, but you're right. I mean, isn't Wal-Mart the ultimate arbiter of good taste? I think that little smiley-face-rollback-guy would agree with me.Jamie Raab, a publisher for Warner Books, which produced "America," said the naked justice joke fits perfectly with the book's theme.
"It's not gratuitous and it's very much in tune with the rest of the book," Raab said. "It's funny, yet to the point. When you undress the Supreme Court justices, they're just men and women and you have to judge them on who they are and what they do. It makes you look and think and laugh."
Wouldn't you love it if all of your problems could be solved using only two easy-to-remember phrases? The Two Things presents short, informative gems that just might help solve your work and/or life problems. Here are a few to whet your appetite (via xBlog):
The Two Things about Art Criticism:
1. If it isn't novel, critics aren't interested.
2. If it is novel, no one else is interested.
-TheLetterM
The Two Things about World Conquest:
1. Divide and Conquer.
2. Never invade Russia in the winter.
-Tim Lee
The Two Things about Working with Building Materials:
1. It's all about the wood.
2. Don't giggle like a 12-year-old when the L is not pronounced in caulk.
-Dina
The Two Things about Dormitory Food:
1. Everything is cold, except what should be.
2. Everything is greasy, including the corn flakes.
-Steverino
The Two Things about Blogging:
1. Everyone who runs one is a kook.
2. Everyone who comments in one is a kook.
-Josh
Other educational links:
- Maybe you're doing a report for your LIS class, or maybe you're just inquisitive.... Regardless, you might be wondering when the first metallographic printing happened in Holland. Find out on this most excellent timeline of the history of information.
- I'm always curious why it takes about the same amount of time to fly from Seattle to Amsterdam as it does to fly from Seattle to Tokyo. And it's weird that one of these flights goes near the North Pole rather than going across the US, then across the Atlantic (but, I guess it makes sense, given the whole "round earth" thing...). Anyway, if you're so inclined, you can map your next airplane trip using the Great Circle Mapper - and, you can also be a big nerd like me!
- Ingenious is a fantastic site; it houses a huge collection of images from the UK's Science Museum, National Railway Museum, and National Museum of Photography. There site also includes a number of short articles on history and technology.
- More educational links can be found at Museum Stuff, a collection of pretty much everything related to museums - online exhibits, guides, jobs, etc. I had no idea that there was an entire museum devoted to carrots. My life is now complete.
- Ever wondered what the front page looks like on your favorite (offline) newspaper? Wonder no longer - the Newseum has a collection of today's front pages from a number of worldwide papers. It's updated daily.
Woohoo! Jim Jarmusch has a new movie coming out called Coffee and Cigarettes, which is a series of vignettes extolling the virtues of the two vices in the title. The Apple site has the official trailer, and the French site has quotes from all of the actors (which stars Meg and Jack White, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop and Bill Murray, among others).
Also, check out my newest favorite movie site: cin-o-matic. It's a great way to keep track of all of those movies you've been meaning to catch in the theater or on DVD - plus its simplicity and smart design is an information architect's dream.
Alistair Cooke, host of Masterpiece Theatre has died. As the obituary on PBS' site notes:
 | Cooke hosted Masterpiece Theatre for 22 seasons, beginning with the show's premiere in 1971 and continuing until he retired in 1992. Along the way, he wrote and delivered erudite commentary on many classic Masterpiece Theatre titles, from I, Claudius to Upstairs, Downstairs to The Jewel in the Crown. His debonair presence became synonymous with the popular series, and his social and historical commentary gave public television audiences a unique perspective on what they were about to see. Cooke often equated his role with that of a headwaiter "in the sense that I'm there to explain for interested customers what's on the menu and how the dishes were composed." |
This, of course, begs the question: is Alistair Cookie, the learned host of Monsterpiece Theater who had a penchant for baked goods, also deceased?
Woohoo! My personal favorite, Yoanna House, won the title of America's Next Top Model. Yes, yes, this means that I'm officially declaring my love for this totally cheesy show...but I'm not the only one. One of my friends continually suggests that it's the best reality series on right now - as it actually judges the contestants based on real modeling activities like beauty shots, runway shows, etc. I have to agree.
However, I did just check out Yoanna's final portfolio over at the UPN site. While two of the photos of Y are beautiful, the one with Tyra looking like a drag queen freaks me out.
...that the new FOX show Cracking Up is quite good. Go Mike White!
McDonald's now has a site (called i-am-asian.com) for Asian Pacific Islander Americans which features the tagline, "I am Asian." More text from the site:
We're Asian and Pacific Islander Americans "living on the rim," where our diverse cultures and the everyday American lifestyle become one. We're hanging on to our great traditions while we move to the beat of the times. We honor our heritage - but we love being Americans. From high fashion to high tech, from Asian Pacific American hip hop to haute cuisine, we're weaving the threads of our culture into the fabric of everyday American life. Whether we're sipping green tea or enjoying a Big Mac® sandwich, we're helping make the magic mix called America become even richer. And McDonald's is right there with us, everyday!Amazing. If it's not bad enough that McDonald's has no problems appropriating ethnic and racial identities for their own marketing purposes, check out this gem of a statement on their trivia page - "Antarctica is the only continent that does not have a McDonald's restaurant - yet."
Ugh.
Two things:
1) What happened at the end of the halftime show during the Super Bowl? Did Justin Timberlake unfasten something on Janet Jackson's costume that wasn't supposed to be unfastened?
2) If you'd like an invite to join Orkut, let me know. It's like all of the popular celeb bloggers have gotten together to rule the school...once again, I find myself friendless and unpopular. I'm beginning to hate social networking.
Update: Gawker has some more info on the risque ending to the Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime show/debacle.
So, one minor celebrity sighting - Tom Douglas, local restauranteur and author of several cookbooks was seen exiting one of his downtown establishments. I was on my way to the new flagship Top Pot Doughnuts cafe, and I saw this sketchy guy wearing an REI fleece jacket hanging outside the Palace Kitchen. He wasn't sketchy because of the fleece jacket ('cause this is Seattle, and there's a lot of fleece here), but he just looked furtive, like he was doing something untoward. But, I think I just mistook annoyance for unseemliness. When I finally figured out who it was, I was pretty excited. It's not like Douglas is any big celebrity (although, I have seen him on the Food Network several times), it's just that I have low celeb-sighting standards. Unlike my friends who run into Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service every five minutes, I have to be content with minor celebrities, like John Curley (the host of a local news magazine show), who I saw last year doing a segment on the UW's quad.
Another celebrity sighting - this time at the co-op:
Finally, a cartoon-endorsed product I can get behind!Best line in tonight's episode of The Surreal Life? Rob "Don't Call Me Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle yelling to Ron Jeremy, "Don't pull a Garry Coleman!"
Some choice quotes:
- "Really, don't play me...you have a better chance of playing the lotto and that's like one in a million." - Camille
- "I know you're going for a sexy, strong look, but it looks like you're on the toilet." - Eric Nicholson
- "Girl, you walk like you're on crack." - The runway guy (this week's guest judge)
- I am Jack's worst house compilation.
- I am Jack's State of the Union Address Drinking Game.
- I am Jack's special blogging awards for special people.
- I am Jack's cute tofu mascots.
- I am Jack's awesome article about stitch 'n bitch sessions in this week's Newsweek.
"It's not so much religion...I'm just trying to be Christ-like."
Source: Anna, the only model who refused to participate in a photo shoot where she would be nude but covered with body paint, during tonight's episode of America's Next Top Model.
(Oh, and Tyra Banks continually referred to said model throughout the show as "plus sized." Can someone please explain to me how being 5'8" and weighing 130 pounds makes you plus sized?)
Newsy
- Comedian Lenny Bruce finally received a pardon from NY state Gov. Pataki - a mere 37 years after his death.
- They've just discovered the first possible case of Mad Cow disease in the US - right here in Washington state. "'This incident is not terrorist-related,' [Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman] said. 'I cannot stress this point strongly enough.'"
- Just in time for last-minute gift wrapping - beautiful paper boxes from the good folks at Kaliber 1000 (via Christina Wodtke's most excellent weblog, Gleanings).
- More paper-y goodness - lovely paper models of animals and motorcycles courtesy of Yamaha (!!) Motors.
- For you IA/user design lovers, here's a plethora of Web widgets and a bunch of interaction design patterns (thanks, xBlog), and some absolutely gorgeous typography. Oh, how I wish I were an actual designer.
- Pitchfork Media has published their annual review of the top 50 albums and the top 50 singles of 2003. As one of my friends pointed out, the review for the #1 song, Outkast's Hey Ya! is brilliant: "You can approach pop music as cynically as your indieness mandates, but 'Hey Ya' is a monument to the idea that a really fucking great song will blow up because it's really fucking great. Mind-blowing, then, when the track sounds very much like a home recording by a guy with a couple guitars and keyboards." Well played.
- While you're gathered 'round the Yule log, check out the newest release from 8bitpeoples - Christmas songs created using the music from classic video games.
- Harold von Braunhut, creator of Sea Monkeys and X-Ray specs, died on Sunday (via Boing Boing).
I saw 21 Grams last night. After it was over, the first thing I said to my friend was, "Wow. I just feel like I've been run over by a truck." I wasn't trying to be clever or anything - I just was overwhelmed. We spent the next two hours drinking stiff greyhounds and gin and tonics in a seedy Chinese restaurant in Wallingford. It took at least two drinks before we regained the ability to say anything much more coherant than, "Dude, that was rough." Still, the film is great, despite its few flaws.
I might have to have another drink now....
Dear QE Guys,
I watched tonight's QE in rapt attention, since I thought the premise of a reunion show was interesting. But the holiday party sucked - do we really need to watch a bunch of the same yahoos drink Eco Domani (shudder) and replay/revisit 1/3 of each show over again? I mean, you've only been on the air for, what, a season-and-a-half - do we really need a retrospective at this point? Is my memory so bad that I can't remember George Katsigiannis who was just featured in August 2003?
You kept up this congratulatory craziness during your "Making the Video" episode. Can you please explain to me why the ONLY song you played during this ENTIRE show was "Things Just Keep Getting Better"? Yes, yes, I know that it was supposed to document how you made the video, but, let's be honest, there's not a whole hell of a lot of reasons to listen to the song over and over again. It's not like on the sixteenth listen you're suddenly going to discover that the song is actually talking about new theory of evolution, a cure for cancer, or the solution to the Middle East crisis. And I love how your video only features the actual vocalist for about five seconds - um, didn't she, like, sing the song and stuff?
Special memo to Jai:
Please don't chew gum on camera for any reason. Also, please keep your Ben and J. Lo fantasies to yourself. Quick question: WTF was up with your hairstyle and sweater choice during the closing moments of this week's episode? I could barely pay attention to the valuable information about culture/Broadway shows/MCing/facilitating taxidermists' fantasies that you were generously offering, because you looked like you'd just jumped out of the pages of the Sears catalog! I really need to know how to improve my life, but your "holiday" sweater was so distracting that I couldn't focus on your life changing advice.
Seriously, I love QEftSG, but you're dangerously close to becoming overexposed. Maybe you should start including Michael Ian Black aka Pets.com-sock-puppet-voiceover-guy on your shows. You could be the Fab Five + 1.
Sincerely,
Adrienne
P.S. The makeover you did for Saddam H. was awesome, though. Congrats!
---
Update: Check out Jossip's excellent review of the QE music video show. "While you may think 'making the video' specials include actual scenes of the video being made, a la MTV's Making The Video, you would be sorely disappointed with Queer Eye's take. Instead, this half-hour diatribe consisted of Carson, Thom, Jai, Tom and Kyan talking about the success of the show and it being able to 'cross boundaries' -- which is true, if the boundary is between the hamper and the washing machine."
Last night’s QE was just ok. Not the worst, but certainly not the best. The whole military thing made for some nice jokes, but it wasn’t enough to redeem the SG’s almost complete lack of personality. His girlfriend wasn’t much better – all of the Guys kept making fun of the proliferation of the word “awesome” peppering her speech. I had to agree.
Best line (Carson, natch): “My mom says only whores and children wear red shoes."
